Courtship week changes to weekend

Line of contestants during the Newly Wed Game (Photo by Allis Kersten)

On a stage surrounded by red and white balloons, Emy Smith pondered the question in front of her. Five others joined her on stage for Trevecca’s edition of “The Newlywed Game,” where one half of a couple answered questions about their partner. The current question? The thing they wished their partner would stop doing.

Emy turned the card she had written on around to show the audience her answer.

“Punching himself in the face for entertainment.”

The Nearlywed Game—which actually featured two married couples, two dating couples, one engaged couple, and a pair of roommates—was part of Cupid’s Big Fat Love Extravaganza, the kick-off to an extended weekend of love and dating events known as “Courtship Weekend.” But that’s shorter than in years past—it used to be “Courtship Week.”

“This year I wanted to change it a bit,” said Jim Waters, SGA director for social life. “This is the first time that I know of that we have just done a weekend, not a week. I also sort of hoped the weekend would not pressure students to find that special someone as much as the week long celebrating of forced flirting and awkward dates did.”

Students at Trevecca can sometimes feel an urgency to find a soul mate, Waters said. This year his hope is that offering fewer events over a shorter period of time will take some of that pressure off.

“Minimizing it to this weekend is my way of saying, ‘Chill, if it happens it happens, if not enjoy the freedom to live your own life that so many students seem to be petrified of,’” he said.

In addition to Cupid, other events this weekend included a showing of Wall-E in TSAC, and free ice cream at the Pied Piper Creamery.

“Having it all on one weekend allowed me to focus all my time and money on a handful of events hopefully making those events more enjoyable and organized than they would be if I did a week-long ordeal,” Waters said.

Courtship Week has been around as long as most people on campus can remember, but the switch to a shorter weekend this year didn’t bother many students.

“A week was a lot of events,” said sophomore director for social life Erin Gardner, who helped organize Friday’s party. Having events on the weekend instead of weeknights probably enabled students to participate more, she said.

“It’s kinda short and sweet,” said junior Jason Millsap.

Waters agrees.

“So guys, chill, it’s just Valentine’s Day. If you don’t have someone’s face to suck, you will live. Promise.”